Killing the Nameless
by Calamitynexus
Summary: Kira fancies himself judge, jury and executioner. Too bad he never bothered to check if that job was already taken. Rated for language. And Because it is DEATH Note.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer- I am not Japanese. I have no ownership over Deathnote or Yu-Gi-Oh. This is just for kicks. And giggles.

Warnings: Its Yu-Gi-Oh and deathnote people. That means sadness and death. And maybe yaoi. Who knows. I'll leave more specific warnings before the relevant chapters.

Crap you should know: This fic is purely for my enjoyment. That means I might scrap it at any time. It is mostly a "Must Kill Plot Bunny" so I can work on some of my other stuff. I'm feeling a bit writer's blocked right now.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Review if you want. I'll try to respond if you do.

* * *

Soichiro Yagami pushed up his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It didn't help relieve any of his tension, nor did ease the now semi-permanent headache he had been suffering from since the rise of Kira. Still he tried to hold onto hope. Maybe the killings would stop. Maybe L would get back to them. Maybe he would ride a unicorn to work tomorrow.

"Are you all right, Mr. Yagami?" The polite question drew him back to the situation at hand. There were a million things that he could neither control nor affect.

This was not one of them.

"I'm fine, Mr. Mutou." He gave the young man across the table a tired smile. The expression reached his eyes when he saw the young man fidget, obviously not believing his pronouncement but respecting his privacy nonetheless.

Under different circumstances Soichiro would have laughed. He probably would have rubbed the boy's wild hair and told him what a remarkable young man his grandfather had raised. He would have smiled and offered the boy tea and easy conversation.

But those were things you couldn't do to a blood splattered suspect in a murder investigation.

"Um…"the boy shifted again, his short legs not touching the ground in the high, steel back chair.

"Yes, Mr. Mutou?"

"Could I have some new clothes? This is…" His deep purple eyes clouded over with unshed tears.

Soichiro felt his heart stir in sympathy. "I'll see what I can do, but," he gave Yugi a considering look, "We'll need to keep the ones you are wearing. Do you understand?" Yugi blushed brightly but nodded.

"Now, Mr. Mutou, I need you to tell me what happened." The detective felt a wave of guilt as a damaged look slid into the boy's eye, but he ruthlessly suppressed it. As much as he was coming to like Yugi life had taught him that even the vilest of spirits could wear the most innocent of faces. He truly wished that this wasn't one of those instances.

Yugi inhaled a shuddering breath.

//Do you need me to do this, aibou?//

/No, Yami, I can handle it. And if you tell the story there is no way they will believe we're innocent./

//How can you say that?//

/Because _you_ aren't.//

//Ah.//

/Yes, 'Ah.'/

"Mr. Mutou?"

"Sorry," Yugi exhaled with a shudder, "I just need to compose myself." He took in a few more breaths before he felt comfortable speaking. Finally he nodded.

"My friend Ryou and I were walking. We had been to Tokyo University. Ryou really wants to go there and I promised him that I would check it out with him." Yugi chewed on his lip. "We've never been to Tokyo before, and it's a lot bigger than Domino. We decided to see some of the sights. We ended up eating at a restaurant. It was nice. Seafood. Not as good as hamburgers but-" Yugi cut himself off, knowing full well he was stalling.

When he started again it was in a quiet voice. "We were jumped." That one phrase was enough to bring it all back.

YGD

"The campus was huge!" Yugi exclaimed in self-defense.

Ryou giggle. "I still can't believe you got lost going to the washroom."

Yugi grumbled good-naturedly. "Well, as long as you don't tell Jonouchi about it."

Ryou tapped a lip, pretending to consider the idea. "Well…"

Yugi sniffed. "Tell him and I'll never wash your dishes again."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Ryou in mock horror. He clutched dramatically at his chest. "What ever will I do? My life is flashing before my very eyes!"

The sound of the two boys giggling was cut off by a shout.

Yugi blinked to clear the stars out of his vision when he couldn't use his hands to help rub them out. Though even before his vision cleared he knew they were in trouble.

Again.

"Ah, fuck." A bitter voice filled the alley they had been wrenched into. "Dammit guys, she's a he!" Ryou whimpered as a hand groped him for gender verification.

"Leave him alone," shouted Yugi, struggling hard against the hands that held him. Another blow to the head had him tasting blood.

"Shut up you stupid brat!" The gangster wiped his hands, as though disgusted by having to touch Yugi. His five companions laughed unpleasantly. "There is nothing you can do here!"

Yugi spat on the man, his shy nature in the face of danger having been melted away by too many trials by fire.

The gangster took one long swipe at the fluid. The in the same deliberate manner he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pistol. Pressing it almost gently against Yugi's temple he moved slowly, stepping in close to speak in Yugi's ear, whispering just loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Just for that I might fuck your little friend. You can watch just to see how it goes. Then my friends here can have a little taste of you."

Ryou laughed a little hysterically. The man shouldn't have done that. He so shouldn't have done that. //I agree.// The pain of being held so roughly disappeared. //Go to sleep, Landlord. We will handle this.//

The man holding Ryou didn't notice a change as the person in his grip became someone else. Both the men holding onto the teenagers were blissfully unaware that their lives were forfeit.

Yami laughed.

It was a dark, hollow sound, yet still it seemed to fill the night, echoing up to the heavens and down to hell.

The gangster snarled. "What's so funny?"

Yami grinned. "This."

YGD

Yugi could feel a pair of invisible arms around him as he shuddered. He still hated violence. Understanding the need for it was not the same as accepting as it as something that was okay.

Still he choked out a plausible explanation, knowing that Bakura and Ryou would tell the same story.

"The man… the one who threatened to…," Yugi shook his head, hoping the detective understood. "He just started shooting. He started shooting at everyone." Things like that did tend to happen when Yami played penalty games, though this had not been one of Yami's brighter ideas. Ryou had been grazed in the same place Bakura had stabbed him. It would make for a more interesting scar but Bakura was going to have Words when they finally made it somewhere safe.

But that could happen later. "Then he ran. He shot everyone and he ran. There was a car and it…."

Soichiro nodded in understanding. He had heard about the scene. The first people to arrive had thought that both Mr. Mutou and his friend were not going to make it. Fortunately most of the blood on the pair had belonged to other people. Still, since Yugi had been the only person alive and uninjured he had automatically been blamed by some new hotshot detective that was taking out his frustrations on Kira on a victim.

The rest of those involved were dead. Five succumbed to gunshot wounds and one was smeared across the pavement.

Soichiro sighed, but it was more one of relief. It appeared as though the young man before him truly was innocent of any wrongdoing. Maybe things really would look up.

"Okay Mr. Mutou. Thank you for your time. You will be allowed to leave as soon as we have your clothes. After that we would only ask that you stay in Tokyo for a while in case we have any other questions." Yugi nodded, his features relaxing slightly.

They tensed again as he thought about how he would tell this to his grandfather.


	2. Titans in Tokyo

"Ryou! Wake up! Don't you have an exam?" Yugi bounced on all fours on the bed in an effort to wake his sleeping companion. Times like these made Yugi want to scream. Everyone assumed that he was late riser yet Ryou could rival a hibernating bear.

"Wake up! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!"

"Mwraaa," groaned Ryou, rolling deeper into his pillow. A few seconds later his body jerked up, his eyes full of crimson.

"Bakura," Yugi acknowledged with a grin.

"Chibi Pharaoh," Bakura sniffed with disdain. Yugi giggled.

Yami appeared on the bed in spirit form. ((I take it you will be sitting through Ryou's exam today?))

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Your genius startles me. It is no wonder they put you in charge of an entire kingdom. Now beat it so I can get dressed."

Yami gave Bakura a playful punch, his hand sinking right through Ryou's arm before he and Yugi disappeared into the kitchen. In a few seconds Bakura emerged from the bedroom, looking relatively normal in the plain long-sleeved shirt and the slacks that Ryou so favored.

Yugi frowned. "It's Ryou's turn this week?" He looked down at his own punk gothic wear. "I thought it was the yami's week to pick fashion."

Bakura shook his head. "It is. Bakura is being introduced to a new role-playing group this week and he wanted to look 'normal' so he traded me. I get to pick for the next two weeks after this."

Yami nodded his head then frowned at the clock. "I doubt Ryou will honor his end if you miss his exam."

"Fuck!" Bakura propelled himself from the chair, frantically grabbing Ryou's school things. "Stupid idiot host! Why does he always spend all night studying! Stupid fucking idi-" Bakura's lament was silenced the sound of a closing door.

Yugi giggled.

Mornings like this had become the norm in their small apartment and everyone had come to appreciate them, especially after how close they had come to losing it before they even had the chance to experience it.

It had almost been half a year since the attack in the alley. Everything had been fine after Detective Yagami had allowed Yugi to leave the police station. Everything had been fine as Yugi and Yami had sat in the hospital, a spirit Bakura keeping them company while his host slept, unaware he had yet another injury. Everything had been fine.

Then came the media.

It had been a frenzy that made sharks in bloody water look like grazing lambs. The day after the attack the front page of every newspaper proclaimed the arrest of Yugi Mutou, King of Games. Someone had even managed to get a photo of Yugi being stuffed into the back of a police cruiser, handcuffs glistening in the camera flash.

The theories had varied according to the reliability of each paper. A few had even stuck close to reality, giving a blurb on how Yugi and his friend had been accosted in Tokyo. The others grew to outrageous proportions. One claimed that Yugi had joined a gang and had used it to try and murder Ryou. Another was that Yugi and Ryou had gone out of their way to attack some teenagers for kicks. Yami's favorite had been the story about how Yugi was really alien who been planning on sacrificing his gay lover so he could return to the stars.

Ironically it was that story that held the most truth.

Yugi and Ryou had gone to great pains to keep their relationship a secret. The only person who knew about it was Sogoroku Mutou and Yugi swore it was because the man could read minds better than the Millennium Eye had ever been able to. Everyone else had been blissfully ignorant of the blooming romance between the two duelists and in the dark about Yugi's sexual orientation.

The only good news about the papers screaming Yugi's guilt was that they did ignore his relationship with Ryou. But as the weeks progressed and the story became clearer the media began to paint Yugi with a darker and darker brush. Even the detectives who were working on the case began to cast a suspicious eye at Yugi. There had been a very real possibility of him going to jail until Detective Yagami had jumped in.

The man had called a press conference on Yugi's behalf, releasing the full details of the case and Yugi and Ryou's innocence in the matter. He had answered every question the media had thrown at him with grace, effectively clearing Yugi's name.

Then another Kira killing had taken all eyes off of the gamer and on to the latest world phenomenon. Yugi and Ryou had finally been able to breathe again. And despite their bad experience their first time in the city they had still kept their plan to go to Tokyo University. Yami and Bakura had opposed the plan. It didn't take long for them to submit to their hikaris, especially when Yugi had pointed out that if one bad experience ruined something forever then with the lives they had had, he and Ryou should just spend the rest of their lives in a coma.

//Yugi?//

"Yes Yami?" Yugi answered aloud, his voice echoing through the apartment.

//Aren't you going to class?//

"Nope. We have it off today. The teacher is giving a seminar in Greece, remember?"

Yami frowned. //Then are you doing anything today?//

Yugi laughed. "No. You are. Remember? You challenged Ryuga-kun to a chess game."

Yami seemed to glow with his own darkness. //That's today? Why are you still here? Let's go! Come one!//

"Just like a little kid," Yugi mock grumbled, though truth be told he was also excited. Hideki Ryuga, who apparently shared the name of some pop idol, and Raito Yagami had been at the top of the entrance exam. Since then Yami had been itching to challenge either one of them to a game. He had picked Ryuga, deciding he was the stronger combatant, and had had tried to get Yugi to pull off scheme after scheme to meet the man. Yugi had ignored Yami's protests, and when his Yami had resorted to threats Yugi had pointed out that someone as smart as Ryuga was likely to catch them if they switched, so Yami had been forced to watch Yugi plan out a meeting.

It had taken a few weeks, just long enough for the 'smartest student' hype to die off, before Yugi had approached. His method had been sweet and simple. He had walked up to Ryuga, declared himself the King of Games and had issued his challenge, emphasizing that it was for entertainment only because there was no way Ryuga could actually win.

The strange young man had been amused by Yugi's audacity and the threat on his pride had been enough to make him accept. Yami had been ecstatic, like a child Christmas morning.

Yugi looked down at his watch. If he left now he would arrive fairly early, but if he didn't he would have to listen to Yami beg. The spirit was already trying to imitate Yugi's puppy eyes and failing miserably.

With a sigh he grabbed his bag. His chessboard made the thing much heavier. Still, it was worth it. It had been a long time since Yami had been this excited by an opponent.

YGD

Ryuzaki was squatting on the chair in the park, the wood digging pleasantly into his feet. He had left set his shoes aside, tucking them under the table where he had agreed to meet his newest opponent.

Ryuzaki had been surprised when the strange young man had first approached him, his hair of gold, black and deep purple wiggling as the boy had planted his feet. Ryuzaki had felt the boy scrutinize him before issuing his challenge. At first L had suspected a trap, some elaborate ploy by Kira get more information or even eliminate his opponent, but for some reason the boy's bright violet eyes had looked at the detective with such eagerness that he had accepted, being allowed to pick the place, time and even the game.

After that Ryuzaki had spent every waking moment he wasn't investigating Kira to researching the young man who had so boldly challenged him. What he had found had been surprising.

The boy really was the King of Games and as of yet had no losses on record. He also hadn't dedicated himself to just one game. Though his original claim to fame had been a game called Duel Monsters it hadn't taken long for Yugi to expand. The boy held titles for Dungeons and Dice, Capsule Monster Chess, regular chess, Go, Poker and even Scrabble, all of which he had earned in high school. L had tracked down every minute of footage he could find, analyzing Yugi's strategy whenever focusing on just Kira because a hassle.

He had also taken to watching Yugi at school. The boy was strange, to say the least, but not necessarily in a repulsive way. He had strange system of dressing radically for a week, then conservatively for the next. He would spend some days in a large crowd of people while others he would hide away, talking softly to himself in the back of the room.

Yugi Mutou was indeed an intriguing person.

"Ryuga-kun!"

Ryuzaki shifted his gaze, surprised to see the object of his attention materialize in real life. Still he noted the small details, the way the boy sped up when he spotted his opponent, the way the chains from his pants jangled against the dark leather, the faded backpack the boy kept hoisting. "You're early," Ryuzaki noted, genuinely surprised. If anything Yugi seemed the type to be distracted and arrive late.

Yugi just laughed, the sound ringing like bells through the park. The sound was strange in Ryuzaki's ears. It sounded clean and simple. He couldn't remember the last time anything in his life had been clean and simple.

"So are you," Yugi let out a giggle as he slid into the chair across form his opponent.

"I required nourishment before our encounter," Ryuzaki held up the remains of the cake he had purchased on the way to the park.

"Ah," Yugi winked at him, "I see. So you are here early because you need food and I am here early because I needed fresh air. Does this mean we will still wait until our appointed time, or would you prefer to start early?"

"Starting now would be acceptable."

Yugi smiled as he pulled out his chessboard. His small clever hands deftly set up the board, aligning the pieces on both sides with skill. He was proud his hands didn't shake with Yami's anticipation.

"You prefer black, Yugi-kun?"

Yugi looked up innocently. "I just thought you might prefer white."

Ryuzaki twisted his toes, rubbing them together as he tried to disassemble the comment. "Why would you think that?"

Yugi's hand wavered as he went to place another piece. "You just… seem the type." A frown clouded his face. "If you don't we can switch."

"That will not be necessary. You were quite right in your conclusion. I was just curious as to how you reached it."

Yugi smiled again. "Well," he quipped lightly, "I did have a fifty percent chance of getting it right." Ryuzaki placed another bite of cake in hi mouth, giving himself time to think. It wasn't hard to see that Yugi was being less than forthright but on the other hand was the distinct possibility that the boy was unaware of how he had reached his conclusion. It didn't necessarily mean there was anything suspicious about the boy, but it did mean that he would have to be careful while playing.

From Yugi's eyes someone saw Ryuga tense. //He is going to be a worthy opponent.// Yami sounded positively bubbly.

Yugi could only nod in agreement. He smiled at Ryuga. "Are you ready?"

Ryuzaki nodded.

He moved his first piece out to the center of the board, the white pawn shining on it's black square.

Yugi, his hand guided by Yami, moved his king's knight.

Ryuzaki frowned, surprised by the unexpected tactic. The Alekhine's Defense was aggressive and a bit radical. He hadn't expected Yugi to immediately move the game into chaos. Hadn't expected it at all.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

AN-I can't wait until I can narrow L down to 1 name. This is too confusing.


	3. Unexpected

_Click._

_Click._

_Click._

All that was heard in the park was the soft echo of the movement of chess pieces and the silence in between. Both players were indulging in long pauses between moves, both trying to be ten steps ahead.

And Yugi was getting bored.

Normally when Yami played a game Yugi had something to do. If lives depended on the outcome he was helping Yami strategize. If they didn't he was in his soul room, reflecting on the day or playing with the numerous toys he had there, or he was out in spirit form, speaking with whoever could see him.

Now he could do none of those things. Yami needed him to pay attention to where he was moving the pieces and they couldn't switch under Ryuga-kun's watchful eye. Yugi was fairly certain that Yami's aggressive stance had already alerted the prodigy that something else was at work here.

Yugi wanted to fidget, to scream, to do _something._ It was taking all the love he had for his Yami not start murmuring ideas. Ryuga-kun was a challenge. He was brilliant. Yugi wanted to take over and test him for himself. He wanted to see how many different ways Ryuga-kun could play.

_Click._

Instead he moved a piece.

"Is everything well, Yugi-kun?"

"Huh?" Yugi glanced up from the board into the concerned eyes of his opponent.

"Is everything well?" When Yugi just blinked Ryuzaki elaborated. "You seem dissatisfied."

"Oh!" Yugi's eyes widened. "Oh no. I'm enjoying myself." He heard Yami mutter in his head. Yugi passed on the message. "You are just as challenging as I had hoped you would be."

Ryuzaki's hand paused en route to his bishop. "I thought you said you could easily defeat me?" _Click._

Yugi blushed gently. Still his gaze never wavered. "Would you have accepted if I hadn't?" _Click. _"I'm sorry if I offended you, but I needed someone to play against."

Ryuzaki chuckled. It seemed he had underestimated his opponent from the beginning. "So you chose me?"

"Yup." Yugi twirled a fallen piece in his fingers. "It was either you or Yagami-san."

L didn't miss the way Yugi's nose crinkled at the prospect. "You don't like Raito-kun?" _Click._

Yugi started in his chair, catching the honorific. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were friends. That was rude of me."

L gave Yugi a gentle smile as the boy wilted under the weight of his own guilt. "You are not required to like everyone I like. But if I may ask, why is it that you dislike him?"

Yugi bit his lip, conflicted. Ryuga seemed nice and Yugi didn't want him to be hurt, but telling him that he didn't like a man that Ryuga obviously did because he gave the three thousand year old ghost that lived in Yugi's head the heebie-jeebies wasn't exactly an option here.

//So tell him why _you_ don't like him, not why I don't like him,// spoke up Yami. Yugi could feel the spirit rolling his eyes at his hikari.

/Just concentrate on your game!/ chided Yugi.

Yami chuckled. //I can listen and play at the same time.// _Click._ //See? Now answer Ryuga. He is smart enough to heed warnings without be explicitly told.//

Outside Yugi sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Yagami-san… scares me. He is very cold despite his smile. I find it… unsettling. He reminds me of someone I went to high school with."

//Yes. He is very much like Kaiba was.//

/Focus on the game, Yami./

//It's _his _move!//

_Click._

//Crap.//

"Hmm." Ryuzaki looked at Yugi, wondering if he should pursue the matter, but a look at the boy's body language made it seem unlikely that he would reveal anything further on that subject. So L decided to switch tactics. "How do you feel about Kira?"

Yugi dropped the chess piece he had been moving. It bounced off the edge of the board, rolling off of the table and onto the sidewalk. "Sorry!" /I am so sorry! Oh. Crap!/ Yugi scrambled to grab the piece, apologizing both out loud and in his head. His hand was trembling when he set the piece in its intended place.

//Aibou? You know you don't have to answer. You have right to keep your opinion private.// Despite his attempt at being calm Yugi could feel Yami's worry. The yamis and the hikaris had a silent truce not discuss the matter of Kira though Yugi and Ryou both knew how their darker halves felt. Yami and Bakura were disgusted by the unknown serial killer, but not for the reasons that one would imagine.

They were disgusted by his method, not his actions. Both Bakura and Yami thought that Kira was lazy and incompetent. He killed with no finesse. He had no style. He lacked the dramatic flair. It reminded Yugi of business during the switch over from hand labor to machines and computers. Mass production, or in this case deduction, was useful but it lost the sparkle of being hands on.

Because the hikaris were just that, light, their other selves had know that the boys wouldn't share their opinion. Yami knew just how opposed to violence Yugi truly was. Still part of him couldn't help but worry that if Yugi condemned Kira, Yugi would be condemning Yami. Though not knowing where Yugi stood hurt, knowing could hurt worse.

/I know./ Yugi fell into a brief silence, /But I think I have the answer now./

//Yugi?//

Yami's voice was full of hesitation. /You should listen. It will help you understand./

Ryuzaki watched as his younger opponent's hand shook as he set his rescued piece on the board. He had been surprised at the violence of the reaction to the question and silently scolded himself for not doing a general search on Yugi's background. Though the tricolored teen didn't look as though he was haunted L should not have jumped to the conclusion that the boy was as unaffected by the world as he seemed. He watched as the boy struggled internally, fighting a battle against forces Ryuzaki could neither see nor understand. L was genuinely shocked when the boy responded.

"About Kira…" Yugi murmured. He looked Ryuga straight into his dark eyes. "Have you ever been in love, Ryuga-kun?"

The detective shook his head, not sure where Yugi was headed but interested in finding out.

Yugi laced his fingers and stretched his arms, offering his palms up to the sun. "Well, I have. It is a marvelous, terrifying experience. When you fall in love, truly in love, you learn things about yourself. You learn about what you are willing to do for the sake of another person. You learn that you would do things that disgust you if it meant keeping them safe. You learn that if they asked it of you, you would do anything. You would fight for them. You would die for them. You would kill for them." Ryuzaki found himself pulled into Yugi's gaze, his magnetic violet stare holding him just as tight as the boy's dark words did.

Then Yugi laughed joyfully.

"But there is a reason it is called 'love,' a reason poets sing of it." He offered L a smile. "The reason is because the person also loves you. Because they love you they would never ask. All they take is what you are willing to give in return for what they offer you. And if they kill to keep you safe you accept it, because you understand why they did it."

Yugi seemed to stare off into space, his eyes darkening with worry. "I do not understand Kira. I do not understand why it is that he kills. It cannot be for the sake of a single person. If it was then he would be spending time with them, watching them, guarding them, instead of killing people who pose no threat to them." Yugi brushed a golden lock behind his ear. "But he also can't be doing it because he loves the world, as so many people seem to think. After all, the people he is killing are part of the world. Any ugly, sad part, but still connected to the rest of us.

"Criminals are not born. They are raised. They are what the world has helped raise them to be. If Kira loved the world he would know this. He would know that he is helping no one. He is not saving the world from criminals because he does not know why there are criminals in the first place. He is," Yugi waved his hands, willing the right metaphor to come. "He is trying to stop the world from bleeding to death by making a bigger cut.

"And this scares me. It means that what Kira does Kira does for himself. He judges his own actions by a different standard. He places himself whether others would place those they love. Because of this he will do anything, but there is no one there to tell him that he has done enough.

"I don't like Kira because, in his own way, Kira is broken.

"And I pity him."

_Click._ Ryuzaki moved his piece, his mind absorbing Yugi's words.

Yami, too, was silent. He could feel Yugi's love pour through the bond like sunshine in the desert. A weight he had not known he was carrying dissolved off of his chest. Had he had a body he would have been dizzy with relief.

//Does Ryou…?//

/Ryou feels the same way I do,/ Yugi reassured his Yami. /We don't like Kira, but that is because Kira is different from you and Bakura. We just lacked the words to make you understand that./

Yami wanted to weep with joy. //Thank you, aibou,// whispered his mind. _Click._

Across the table L chuckled. "That is an interesting perspective Yugi-kun. I have never heard it put like that." He was genuinely surprised by Yugi's opinion. Ryuzaki had never thought about looking at Kira from that direction. It was far too sentimental for the detective. But what Yugi was saying made sense, in it's own way. Yet the opinion was at odds with the way Yugi was playing. It was hard to believe that the aggressive, almost vicious strategies being enacted on the board were coming from the gentle young man across the table. If Ryuzaki hadn't seen Yugi's hands moving the pieces he would not have believed it to be true.

Yugi was definitely not what Ryuzaki had expected. _Click._

"So, Ryuga-kun-" Yugi was cut off by a cry. He twisted, looking for the source of the noise.

And dodged.

A figure on roller skates slammed into the table, sending the chess pieces flying. The board was launched into the air. It slammed into the ground and with a large crack, scattered into three different directions. The chess pieces made their descent, the plastic sounding like rain on the cement.

The roller skater, now wrapped around a table and covered in chess pieces and wood splinters, let out a moan. He rolled onto his back and raised his hand, cursing at the sky in Egyptian.

Then he sat up.

And flopped back down.

And moaned again.

He really should have bought a helmet.

* * *

AN-Wow! I didn't expect a response so fast on this one. Thanks guys! So I'll go ahead and apologize now, just for the sake of warning. The Death Note people might be a bit OoC. I'm not completely familiar with the canon. But thank you for your patience and reviews!

And chapters will be getting longer as the story goes on.

PS. Wear helmets. They save lives. And prevent people from laughing at you when you bleed like an eejit.


	4. Making the Rounds

"Are you all right, Yugi-kun?"

Yugi rolled with a slight hiss, a new scrape on his elbow bleeding lightly. Luckily it was the extent of his injuries. "I'm okay. You?"

"I am untouched." And indeed he was. Ryuga was still sitting in his chair in his strange, curled position, his large toes rubbing against each other. He looked nonplussed by the fact the most difficult chess game of his life had been ruined by a maniac on wheels.

Said maniac moaned again.

//I am going to kill him.//

/It was an accident. And I think he's hurt./

//He RUINED my game!//

Yugi winced as he found his feet, moving over to the source of the calamity. /I am sure you can get a rematch./ Yugi peaked over the upset table.

And gasped.

"Ryou?" The question was met with a moan and a snarl. So it was still Bakura. Yugi dropped down beside his lover, his small hands easily pinning the man before he could try and force himself into a sitting position. "Sit," commanded Yugi. Bakura glared with his scarlet eyes. Yugi rolled his bright ones. "_Sit_," he ordered again, this time in Ancient Egyptian, "_Or I will let Yami at you. You ruined his chess game, you know_."

"I am far more important than some stupid game," snarled the thief. Still he listened, leaning back onto the cement. "I feel like I need to puke."

"Let me know if you're going to so I can help you up. Until then hold still." Yugi frowned as he examined his lover, his eyes cataloging sites of injury. Bakura's left wrist was at an odd angle. The hand had curled in on itself and Bakura was hugging lib close to his body, a sure sign of pain. The upper part of the arm was bloody, the torn sleeve revealing a long scrape. There was another one on the thief's leg, and from where his shirt had hitched Yugi could see a bruise darkening, a souvenir of crashing into the table.

Yugi's fingers immediately darted to the most serious of all the wounds. He began to probe Bakura's scalp, running his fingers along a gash in the hairline. Blood was pouring at an alarming rate.

Yugi pulled out the small knife Yami always kept tucked in their boot. He gently grabbed Bakura's good arm and began working at the sleeve. The material came away with ease. He quickly began to make long strips. "Ryuga-kun, do you have a phone?" He didn't look up from his task but Yami informed him of the nod. "Could you please phone a hospital? This idiot here likely has a concussion and maybe a broken wrist."

"Hate ambulances," murmured Bakura.

Instead of responding Ryuzaki flipped open his phone, dialing the number for the ambulance. Even as he gave the information he kept a careful eye on Yugi, who was now winding the makeshift bandages along the stranger's head.

Well, a stranger to him, maybe, but Yugi seemed familiar with the young man, and intimately so. The violet-eyed youth was probing and prodding the wounds, but even though the pale boy covered in blood snarled and growled and cussed he never attempted to jerk out of Yugi's grip. Yugi was also murmuring in a language that L, despite all his brilliance, didn't quite recognize.

"Is there anything else I can do to assist?" L squatted down beside Yugi, who shook his head.

"Thank you but no. Unless you are a doctor we should just wait for the ambulance."

"Hate ambulances," murmured the accident victim.

Yugi scowled, but it was a soft expression tinged with worry. "Then you should wear a helmet, stupid." He ran his fingers down the other's jawbone. Then he looked up at L with a tired expression. "I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to finish our game." Yugi sounded down right miserable.

"Well, I suppose it is possible to reschedule."

"Really?" Yugi looked up brightly.

Ryuga nodded. "Of course. I too am interested in seeing which one of us is the superior player. Though I do not believe I will be able to set time aside for a while."

Yugi giggled. "I can wait." Yugi began fishing in his pocket, heedless of the blood he was getting on his clothes. He pulled out his wallet, then reached inside, handing L a white, and now slightly crimson, card. On it was a phone number. Just a phone number. There was no name or address. "It's my cell phone," Yugi explained. "Only my friends can reach me there."

"Friends?" Ryuzaki looked at Yugi in surprise. He noted with amusement that he young man was blushing again.

"Well, I hope you would consider us friends… but if I'm being presumptuous, I'm sorry." Worried filled Yugi's eyes. "I didn't mean to offend."

"No." Ryuzaki cut in quickly. "I am not offended. I am honored." He mused over the card. "I've never had a friend before."

"Then I am glad to be your first," Yugi offered a shy smile. "If you ever need anything please feel free to call me. I will help in anyway I can."

"No fucking friendship speeches while I'm dying," grumbled the wayward roller skater.

Yugi gave a little laugh. "You'll be fine. There is the ambulance now."

"Hate ambulances."

YGD

In the end Bakura was given six stitches, a brace, a bottle of Tylenol and a bed to stay in overnight at the hospital, just for observation.

With the severity of his injury he should have been free to go in the evening . However Ryou had shown up in the middle of the doctor's examination. His confusion and lack of knowledge about the accident had sent the hospital staff into panic mode. He had immediately been sent for a CT scan, but when that had shown up mostly clean everyone had relaxed. But Ryou was to be held, just in case.

The albino was not happy. Yugi had slid out of the room when Bakura had been dragged from his soul room.

//But aibou! Ryou is going to yell at Bakura!// Yami reasoned, trying to convince Yugi to stay.

/And I don't want to see that,/ responded Yugi firmly.

//But he ruined our game! The stupid tomb robber wrecked it! After all my waiting, all my carefully planning, just ruined by a ghost on wheels,// mourned Yami. //And I was winning, too.//

Yugi just smiled. /I'm sure he'll call to reschedule when he has a chance./

Despite his lights attempt to balm his rage Yami continued his rant as they made their way to gift shop across the street. He finally ceased when Yugi managed to distract him with searching for a get-well gift. Ryou was simple to buy for. Yugi was able to find a small box of crème puffs relatively quickly, but he wasn't sure what to get Bakura. After an hour of looking Yugi settled on chocolates. Yami was still being sore and continued to suggest things that were pink, fuzzy and could have "I belong to idiot" written on them.

Even as they made their way back to the room Yami continued with his tirade.

//I was four moves away! Four moves! Four freaking moves! It took me forever to set up that strategy. Forever! And in four moves it was going to be perfect! But oh no! Then that _idiot_ comes flying out of nowhere. And I was just five moves away! Five moves and I would have had Ryuga right where I wanted him.//

/Yami-/

//In just six moves I could have won. Against a worthy opponent too, not one of the slack jawed peons that people always seem to insist on setting against us.//

/Yami-/

//But oh no. That stupid, useless, good for nothing-//

/Shut up!/ shouted Yugi. /You are giving me a headache. And you're being selfish. It was an accident and both Ryou and Bakura are hurt. They mean more than your game. And Ryuga will reschedule. I know you are upset but you need to get over this./

Yami let out a gusty sigh. //You're right, hikari,// he responded, abashed. //I'm being selfish. I'm sorry. I was just-//

/Looking forward to this. I know, Yami, I know./ Yugi looked up in the white hall. /Uh, Yami?/

//Yes Yugi?//

/What room is Ryou in?/

//You don't know?//

Yugi sighed. "I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. I'll look on the doors on the right, you look on the doors on the left. Okay?"

Yami emerged in spirit form. ((That is fine.))

Yugi slowly walked by the doors, mutter the last names as he read them aloud. "Kobayashi, Watanabe, Sato, Mori, Ikeda. Come on. Where is Bakura? Hmm. Bakura, Bakura. Nope. Ogawa, Miura, Ishii, Yagami, Inoue-wait." Yugi backed up. His eyes widened as he read the door. "Yami!"

The spirit appeared at his side. ((Did you find Bakura and Ryou?))

"No, but look!" Yugi babbled excitedly. "I found Mr. Yagami. See? Soichiro Yagami. It has to be him! There is no way this is a coincidence!" Yugi stared at the door. "I'm going to say hi."

Yami rolled his eyes playfully at Yugi's enthusiasm, knowing that there was no way they were getting out of the hospital without visiting the detective, especially now that his host knew where the man was and that he was sick. His hikari was practically giddy with the idea of being to thank the man in person. With the Kira incidents on the rise Mr. Yagami was impossible to get a hold of.

Yugi tapped on the door.

A tired woman with dark hair down to her chin opened the door. She blinked in surprise at the sight of the teenager dressed in punk Goth leather rubbing his hands together nervously. The fact that he looked vaguely familiar was the only thing that kept her from shutting the door in his face. "May I help you with something?"

Yugi chewed his lip. "I'm sorry to intrude but I was wondering if I could speak with Detective Yagami?" He winced as he watched her face cloud. He obviously had the right man, which was good, but had inadvertently offended the woman at the door, which was bad.

"He's sick. He doesn't have time to be badgered about the details of his case, nor will he be picking up any new cases."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry! That is not why am here at all." He took a step back and bowed deeply. "My name is Yugi Mutou. My first time in Tokyo a friend and I ran into trouble and Mr. Yagami was very kind and helped us out, above and beyond the call of duty. I merely wished to thank him in person."

"Sachiko, who is it?" called a weary voice from inside the room.

"He's says his name is Yugi Mutou," the woman turned, speaking with the room's occupant.

"It's Yugi?"

The teenager stuck his head through the door. Sitting on the bed was one very worn out Soichiro Yagami. However the man's worn face was wearing a slight smile. Yugi offered a shy one in return. "Hello Mr. Yagami! I hope I'm not intruding…."

"Nonsense," huffed the detective. "Sachiko, invite the boy in." Yugi took a hesitant step into the room. "Yugi, this is my wife, Sachiko Yagami. Sachiko, this is Yugi. He's the young man the media was making such a fuss about."

Yugi bowed deeply. "It is an honor to meet you, Mrs. Yagami."

Sachiko returned the gesture. "And the same to you, Mr. Mutou."

"Please!" Yugi laughed, holding up his hands, "Call me Yugi. Mr. Mutou is my Grandpa."

She offered a soft smile. "I will do so if you call me Sachiko and if you can forgive me for my earlier rudeness. It is just that we have been having problems with visitors and-"

"I look like a bit of a hooligan," Yugi's eyes sparkled with humor as he indicated his state of dress. Somewhere Yami snorted. "Don't worry," Yugi winked, "I don't think I would have let me in either."

Soichiro laughed. "Glad to see you haven't changed much, Yugi. Tell me, did you ever make it into Tokyo University?"

"Thanks to you," Yugi offered another bow. "Both Ryou and I are currently taking classes there."

"Then you will have to tell me about them. Come, sit." Yugi did as he was told. "My son goes there, you know. You have probably heard of him."

Yugi gave a small gasp. "Your son is Raito Yagami?"

"Do you know him?"

Yugi shook his head. "Not personally, no. I have heard of him but I never made the connection. Tokyo is a large city and last names prove nothing. We have a class together but it is a large school and we hang in different crowds."

//And his son is a freak.//

/Hush, Yami. I have already put my foot in my mouth once on the subject./

"So how's Ryou taking to the big city?" Soichiro liked the pale boy but had been worried what Tokyo, especially in these times, would do to his soft streak. The boy didn't seem made for city living.

Yugi gave a tittering laugh. "He's actually why I am at the hospital in the first place." Yugi glanced down at his watch. "Actually I should be getting back to him. Sorry to make this so short. I actually only found your room because I was lost," Yugi admitted shamefaced.

Soichiro just chuckled. "Well no matter what the reason I am glad you stopped by. Bit if you give me a moment," the detective frowned as he leaned over and began rummaging through a drawer. He smiled when he pulled out a pen and paper. "Here," he jotted something down then passed it to Yugi. "In case you are ever in trouble again."

Yugi took the sheet and looked at the number, committing it to heart. "Thank you very much, Soichiro. I will not hesitate to call. Oh," Yugi reached into a shopping bag. "These are for you." He handed the detective the box of chocolates.

//I though those were for Bakura,// grumbled Yami as the effort of an hour was handed away.

/I thought you were still mad at him,/ teased Yugi. /Besides, he'll understand. He likes Mr. Yagami too. /

Soichiro took the box of chocolates with a smile. "Why thank you very much, Yugi."

Yugi just giggled. "It's the least I can do." He walked towards the door then turned, giving one last smile. "It was nice seeing you Mr. Yagami." Yugi disappeared out into the hallway.

Sachiko laughed. "What a strange young man."

Soichiro smiled. "Yes," he agreed, "but not in a bad way."

YGD

//You do know that Bakura will be angry about his chocolate.//

Yugi shrugged as he walked down the hall. /We can get him some more tomorrow on our way home. And I think he will be far more angry over how long we've been gone./ Yugi chewed his lip. He and Yami had been gone for almost two hours. If Ryou and Bakura hadn't fallen asleep in that time he and Yami were going to be in trouble. Yugi bit down harder, lost in his train of thought.

Which was promptly derailed as he crashed into someone.

YGD

Raito hadn't been paying attention. He had had more important things to do. Like finding a way to kill L, and, failing that, at least punish him.

And what a punishment it would be.

Well, it would have been if Raito could find some leverage to use on L. But since L didn't have a name there was no way to see if he had a family. L didn't seem to have any friends and Raito doubted that L spoke to anyone outside of the investigation. There seemed to be no way to inflict a personal injury upon the man.

L was good at the game.

Worse yet as that after all the effort he had put into playing with Raito, all the time L had spent on Kira, the bastard had had the nerve to turn him down when Raito had called to make plans. How was he supposed to L's 'friend' if the detective wouldn't even bother to hang out with him? How were they supposed to play the game if L started avoiding him?

Unless this was another scheme. Which it could be. Anger Raito to see if it angered Kira? It was a clever idea and it was something L would do. However the world's best detective had made a major miscalculation. In a month was the anniversary of Kira. Raito had thought of it as no big deal but now it would be the perfect excuse to exact his revenge. He could mask his punishment as the celebration of a new world order. It would further bind him to the people while weaken the great and noble L. Kira had the patience to wait that long. He could wait a month before showing L how foolish he was to incite Kira.

But first he needed a punishment to exact.

It was that single thought that kept him distracted, that kept him from noticing the equally distracted figure turning the corner.

As Yugi was sent flying back he quickly realized that he was a) about to hit the ground for the second time that day and b) he was once again going to land on his elbow. Part of his mind sighed as his body braced itself for punishment.

It never came.

//I've got this, aibou.// Yami winced as he hit the ground. The pain didn't stop him from twisting his body, kicking his legs and tucking his neck. The force of his fall transformed into movement, allowing him to roll to his feet without incurring further injury. With a sigh he looked at his arm, noting that blood had began to seep through the bandages again.

/Thanks, Yami,/ Yugi's voice lanced through Yami's mind like light.

//Do you want control back or-//

"Are you all right?" Yami glanced up, already recognizing the voice of the person they had bumped into. //Never mind. You stay put.//

"I'm fine, Yagami," Yami smiled frostily. "Sorry for bumping into you."

Raito could hear the voice dripping with insincerity. He fought back the urge to tear the brat's face off. "No, it's my fault," he offered a smile of his own, "I was distracted, Mr…?"

"Mutou," replied Yami stiffly.

He noticed as Raito's eyes narrowed slightly. He had seen Kaiba do that in deep thought. "Yugi Mutou, correct?"

Yami nodded and flipped his hair. "Correct. Now if you'll excuse me I have places to be." He stepped forward, trying to maneuver around his classmate.

Their shoulders brushed.

Yami gasped, staggering to the side as cold filled his body, his fingers instantly going. He could hear the screams of a thousand voices crying out in more agony than the spirits of Kul Elna. And for a second, their pain was his pain. Their screams were his screams.

There death was hi death.

"Are you all right?" Raito was crouched in front of him, his golden eyes filled with something close to concern.

Yami forced a chuckle. "I'm fine. I'm just a little more injured than I thought." He pushed himself to his feet and held out his arms as if to say "see?" Then he took his leave, mindful not to touch.

Raito watched him go with a suspicious eye. He read the papers. He knew who Yugi was and what the world thought he was capable of. He rubbed his shoulder, trying to bring back a feeling of warmth. Maybe the rumors were truer than anybody suspected.

Kira would just have to find out.

YGD

/Yami, what just happened?/

//We tripped. I took over.//

Yugi appeared in spirit form, rolling his eyes as he floated in front of Yami. (I got that part. I was talking about the whole bit of screaming darkness.)

Yami's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. //You heard that?//

(Heard, felt, and am now freaking out about. What do think could be going on? Do you think it was shadow magic? But it can't be shadow magic. All the items are gone, except for the Puzzle and the Ring, and since Yagami wasn't bleeding I doubt he has it. Then again, we might have missed something. What if there was another item? What is Zorc is still around? What if Marik came back! What if-)

"Yugi, calm down!" Yami spoke aloud, placing a hand on spirit Yugi to steady the boy as he fought waves of panic. Had Yugi been controlling the body it probably would have collapsed, oxygen starved as the gamer hyperventilated. "It's okay. It wasn't Marik. It wasn't Zorc and there are no together Millennium items. We have the word of the very Gods on that. This is something else. It might not even have anything to do with us. And if it does I'll protect you. You, Ryou and even Bakura; I will keep you all safe."

(But what if-)

//But nothing, aibou. For as long as you live, I live. For as long as I live I am the Pharaoh. And I will protect my kingdom.//

Yugi moved, leaning up against his chest before vanishing back into his soul room.

He vanished with a whisper. /Thank you, Yami./

* * *

AN- *Noms on cyber review cookie.* Thank you for the review guys! I really appreciate them. I'm sorry I haven't been responding. I've just been a bit focused on writing. I have so many stories, even more plot bunnies but can only type so fast.

But I read each and every one of them. Twice.

And 10 pts to Teah for figuring out who the roller skater was

5 points Ninj Jun. It was almost Malik. I changed it for plot reasons.

FYI-My spell check recognizes Japanese surnames. I think that just blew my mind.


	5. Between Now and Then

So… about those warnings I promised? I have one for you. Ahem.

WARNING! CONTAINS BOY LOVE. No explicit yaoi but definitely no ignoring the connotations.

YGD

Fingers danced over the keys. With a soft clicking the computer soon began to relinquish all of its secrets. Names, faces, dates and events poured forth as Raito navigated his way through the police database.

At first he had thought he was going to do a quick check. After all, his father had vouched for Yugi's innocence. It was likely that the boy really had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. And on the surface it appeared that way.

But something about Yugi had been off. Something about his dark, almost black purple eyes made Raito need to see if there was more.

And there was so much more.

The first few events Raito had read about had sounded innocent. A long time bully at Yugi's school inextricably went insane. A random occurrence probably brought on by stress. But then another had soon followed suit. After that another was killed in an explosion that had involved a griddle and a chemistry set. No one knew why there had been a chemistry set at the scene, nor did they know why the boy had been out at midnight. After that the incidents grew increasingly more disturbing. A man holding hostages was set on fire. One who ran a racketeering business was poisoned with scorpion venom. Well know gangsters were hospitalized after being electrocuted. A student fell into a coma and died after three months.

The list of weird events went on and on. The last one occurring in Tokyo, leaving six dead. And in every case Yugi's name somehow came up. He had had contact with every one of the victims, often times being a victim to their aggressive behavior.

But that didn't excuse what he had done in response.

Ryou pulled out the Death Note, running his fingers across the smooth page. He picked up his pen, touching it to the paper. He made a line.

Then stopped.

Slowly a smile crept across his face.

"Aren't you going to kill him, Raito?" Ryuk asked, confused by the actions of his human but intrigued. The expression Raito was wearing usually lead to interesting times.

"Not yet, Ryuk," He ran a finger along the photo of Yugi he had acquired, tracing the outline of the boy's wild hair. "He has given me an idea."

"An idea?" Ryuk leaned over Raito's shoulder, seeing if the boy would delve any information.

"An idea," confirmed Raito. He spun in his chair, staring straight up at the shinigami, a playful smile lighting up his entire face.

"I know how we will celebrate Kira's birthday.

YGD

"I don't know why you decided to stay here instead of heading to the afterlife if you were going to just be fucking miserable," snarled Bakura, sloshing the water in the sink around with the violent motions of his hands.

"You are an asshole, thief. And you ruined my game," Yami glowered as he dried a cup, twisting a white cloth around the glass before stretching on his toes to reach its home.

"Oh for fuck's sake! That was a month ago! How long are you planning to hold a grudge," Bakura grumbled, scrubbing viscously at a pan, spilling even more water onto the counter.

"_You_ held a grudge for three thousand years," Yami sniffed, tossing his hair. "I'm only holding one until Ryuga reschedules." He picked up another glass.

"Oh? Really? So there is no way you will forgive me before then?" Bakura's hands stilled as he glanced at Yami out of the corner of his eye, watching as the Pharaoh stretched to put away the dish.

"Absolutely none," Yami stretched a little furthering, tapping the glass into its place in the cupboard, wishing he had another half inch in height.

"Are you sure?" Strong arms wrapped themselves around Yami, wet hands gliding up his shirt, fingers sliding across his skin like a sensuous wind, caressing his body. Even as Yami thought to escape the arms pulled back, knocking the pharaoh off balance and into his lovers arms. Bakura kissed his neck. "Will you forgive me now?"

"No," breathed Yami. He tried to struggle, gasping as Bakura pinched his skin. Yami growled. "Keep this up and I'll switch with Yugi," he threatened.

"You are welcome to try, my liege," Bakura practically purred.

Yami's eyes narrowed in suspicion. //Yugi?//

/Yeeeeeeees?/ came the far too sweet reply.

//What are you and the Tomb Raider up to?//

/Nooooooothing?/

//Yugi. Get up here and deal with him,// Yami snarled at his light. //Now.//

/No?/ Giggles burst through his mind as Yugi and Ryou both appeared in spirit form. Yugi smiled easily. (You have to forgive Bakura. We've all decided.)

Ryou's ghostly laughter floated through the room. (Even I have already forgiven him, Yami, and I had a concussion. It is time you do too.)

"It is far past time you forgave, Yami" Bakura whispered his name huskily, sending shivers up his spine. "Far past time."

Yami tried to twist away, only to find himself with his back pressed up against the fridge. The thief deftly pinned his wrists and continued to kiss his neck. Yami struggled to hold his anger through the bliss filling his body. "You… can't do… this. I'm… king. You can't… make the Pharaoh… do anything." He shuddered under Bakura's magic touch.

(Sorry Pharaoh,) Yugi winked at his darker half, (But this is a rebellion. The people are overthrowing you. Enjoy your first taste of treason.) He turned to the thief, (Bakura, if you need anything else Ryou and I will be in his soul room. Just remember you only have until lunch. Ryou and I have classes.)

"Alright, Chibi Pharaoh. Til lunch." He nipped on Yami's earlobe then whispered, "I wonder which is sweeter; treason or forgiveness?"

Yami chuckled, knowing he had lost this fight but had won a greater struggle. He relaxed into his lover's grip. "As the Pharaoh I order you to pursue the matter."

Bakura pressed up harder against his body. "Don't I always?"

YGD

L frowned at the data, worry gnawing at his mind. Had he missed something? Had he miscalculated? Was Kira planning something?

The answer to the last question was obvious. The number of criminal deaths had been in decline for two weeks. They hadn't stopped but the numbers had drastically fallen.

There was perhaps the small possibility that Kira was losing whatever power it was that he had in the first place. It was a slim hope that was dampened by the fact that people were still dying, but it was one L would have liked to entertain as he bit into the sweetness of his strawberry.

But today he couldn't manage it. It was an inefficient use of his time and he was well aware of the date. Today was the one-year anniversary of L's challenge to Kira. Since Kira didn't like to lose it was unlikely that he would allow the day to pas without making a move towards antagonizing L. L could only hope that by doing so Kira would make another mistake.

Because of this hope L had several televisions set up in the main room of the hotel, each on a different channel. The members of the investigation team had also been assigned to monitor the media. Hirokazu Akita was glued to the emergency hot line while Shuichi Aizawa was carefully observing the status of criminals in the prison system. Touta Matsuda was playing the part of the gopher, filling in when one became too overwhelmed by their duties.

So far it was quiet.

L hoped it would stay that way.

YGD

Yugi absently rubbed at his shirt, grimacing at the thought of the hickey underneath. Had it been the only discolored patch in question there would have been no problem. Unfortunately it was only one a small number. Yugi wrinkled his noise. His torso looked like he had been battered.

Yugi slumped back in his chair, tapping his pencil on his notebook. As much as he hated having his skin marked up Yugi knew exactly how lucky he was, how close he had come to losing Yami and never knowing Bakura.

Even now he could smell the must of the tomb, still feel the cold, stuffy air against his skin, remember the way his voice had echoed strangely as he and Yami had battled at the end of the ceremonial duel. Yugi still remember ever card he had pulled, every strategy he had considered, every life point he had lost. It had been a tough duel, easily the most difficult of both and Yami's life.

And the one with the highest stakes.

Yugi had fought his best, knowing that what he did he did for Yami. The Pharaoh had deserved his rest after three millennia of guarding the puzzle and Yugi had been planning to give it to him.

But as he was about to call the last attack he had caught Yami's face.

And Yugi's heart had broken.

He had collapsed, tears pouring from his eyes as he fought to catch his breath as he finally understood what he would be losing. His chest had hurt and his head had swum. The concerned cries of friends had been lost to the rattling of his skull and his gasps for breath. Yugi had felt like he was going to die. Part of Yugi had even hoped that he was dying. It would have hurt less then being reduced to half.

Then a voice had cut through the pain and fear and utter desolation that had filled his soul. Yami's gaze had filled his vision. Yami's voice probed where it hurt.

And Yugi had kissed him.

The room had fallen into shock. And it took a lot to even surprise those who dealt with Yugi, never mind shock them. Even Kaiba hadn't been able to find anything snide to say. The group had just stood their, their mouths hanging open even as Yugi's explored the other of his soul. Then the world had dissolved into golden light.

Yugi had awoken before the pantheon of Egyptian Gods.

And they were not amused.

Yami had held Yugi's hand while deities had raged at them for destroying the natural order of the world, for messing up thousands of years of schemes. Apparently everything had been going according to plan until Yugi had had a surge of hormones. When Yami had stated that there was no way in hell he was moving on to the afterlife desperation had joined the rage. There had been talk of sending them back after wiping memories.

Yugi could still feel how close Yami had pressed to him when that was mentioned.

In the end it was Hathor who saved the day. She had pointed out that all they needed to do was seal the Pharaoh and Shadow Magic, but necessarily Yami. After all, if Yami remained the Nameless Pharaoh while the Named Bit of the Pharaoh went off to the afterlife then the conditions for sealing the items were met. And since Yami had only gained the soul of the Name Pharaoh after learning the Pharaoh's name it wouldn't actually affect him at all.

Or something like that. Yugi still had trouble following God Logic.

In the end the magic of the Millennium Items had been sealed and Yami's true name was lost forever, the part of him that held it (or the part that was not him) had taken it to the afterlife. Bakura's spirit had also come back, something about balance, though knowing what he did now Yugi was fairly certain that Hathor had just been scheming. Not that he was complaining. He liked the situation very much thank you.

Yami and Bakura's souls had been permanently attached to Yugi and Ryou. They could still enter the items but there was very little point, save for nostalgia. The Puzzle and the Ring still channeled shadow magic, as did Yami and Bakura, though it had been considerable weakened. The magic would only finish sealing when the spirits died, and they would only die when their hosts did and their hosts would only die when Yami and Bakura discovered they couldn't make old age play a shadow game. Not that that would stop them from trying.

Returning to Domino with Yami had been as awkward as it had been wonderful. He and Yugi weren't truly lovers. After all they shared a body, though Bakura had once mentioned that if they figured it out it would bring new meaning to "go fuck yourself." But Yami had seen that the spirit understood. Yami loved Yugi and Yugi loved Yami, but it was a strange love. It was incomplete. After all, together Yugi and Yami only managed to make one person, and love was supposed to involve two.

As much as Yugi loved his friends they hadn't understood. They still saw him and Yami as two separate entities instead of two sides of the same coin. But they were Yugi's friends, and though they didn't understand they had still accepted it. And Yugi had sunk into a misty depression as he berated himself for not being perfectly happy.

Alcohol had been the main factor in his salvation.

Jonouchi had decided that a party was just the thing to take Yugi's mind off his troubles and when Yugi had refused to go Jonouchi had picked him up, tossed him over his shoulder and had carried Yugi to said party. To this day Jonouchi was still unaware of how close he had come to playing a shadow game.

The part had been loud, crowded and uncomfortable. Bodies had danced, sweated and puked against each other in a celebration of their golden years as loud music had pulsed through the house like a second heartbeat. Jonouchi had soon abandoned Yugi when a familiar busting blonde had made her usual dramatic entrance as she eyed up the younger crowd like meat. Yugi had taken to chasing his sake with sake in an attempt to escape.

He had woken up naked in Ryou's arms.

The two had spent the next week unable to look at each other without blushing, so talking about what had happened had been beyond impossible. The next week had been spent specifically not talking about recent behaviors. The week after that they started dating.

It had been nice, but complicated, as things were when your body was on timeshare. And while Yugi had enjoyed his time with Ryou he had felt his yami pulling back, growing more and more distant. Apparently Bakura had been doing the same to Ryou. So another night, more alcohol and one bad romance flick had caused the growing pressure to burst.

Yami had confessed first. He had been in the body therefore it was he who was affected by the alcohol as Yugi ghosted around the room. He had drunkenly confessed to also loving Ryou while still loving Yugi. Then Bakura had appeared, full of piss and vinegar. Yugi had been afraid he was going to punch Yami out, forgetting who the flesh the spirit was wearing belonged to.

Bakura had settled for yelling and not for the reasons Yugi had thought. Apparently he and Yami had had a deal about confessing. As in it wasn't supposed to happen. After Ryou had heard that he had stuffed Bakura into his body and the alcohol in his system had immediately gone straight to the thief's head. And Yugi and Ryou finally got the whole story.

Yami loved Yugi, Ryou and Bakura. Bakura loved Ryou, Yugi and Yami. But because they hadn't wanted to alienate their hikaris they hadn't been honest about having also fallen in love with their hikaris boyfriends.

Yugi had actually laughed when he had heard this. If he and Yami only made one person, then Ryou and Bakura only made one person. So when the four of them loved each other it was love between two people.

Bakura had been skeptical but the ramifications had had him keeping his mouth shut.

After that things had been easier. Not perfect, but better. One could not expect perfection while carrying on a secret homosexual love affair in their last year of high school. And Domino was not a place where one could be open about such things.

Which was why they decide to move to Tokyo. The city was large enough that things that had them standing out in Domino fade into the background, like their hair. People could be themselves all the time. People could dislike you with out trying to brand their opinion on your skin. It had been intoxicating. No one had regretted the decision to move.

It was their heaven.

"Oi! Yugi," a pen poked into his forehead playfully.

Yugi wiped at the spot it had hit. "What?" he asked testily, not pleased to be drawn back to the mundane concern of class.

Yuku pulled back. "Oh, sorry Mr. King. I didn't realize you were busy. Next time I'll just leave you here."

It was then Yugi noticed the empty classroom. He blushed. "Sorry, Yuku. I must have zoned out again."

Yuku just laughed. "You're just lucky that we have our date today."

//Date?!// Yami hissed, the spirit alert for the first time sine his mind blowing encounter with Bakura. //What date!//

/I don't know!/ squeaked Yugi, as shocked as Yami.

Yuku laughed again. "You promised to show me your favorite tea place." Only his manners kept Yugi from sighing in relief as he felt Yami uncurl. He still wasn't used to Yuku's teasing manner and occasionally took her far too seriously. Luckily she found it to be part of his appeal. "Wow, Mr. King. You looked like you were about to have a heart attack." She winked at him, then gave an exaggerated moan, swaying and staggering to the side. "I guess I shall never be able to pull you from you one true love."

Yugi laughed. "I'll call you if it doesn't work out."

Yuku smiled as she pulled him from the chair, the two of them navigating through the campus. "You do know that you will have to tell me who this true love of your is." Yuku's voice was light but Yugi could hear the note of seriousness in it. "You can't keep your girlfriend a secret forever. Mr. Game King."

"If I can keep this a secret from the media I can keep it a secret from you," Yugi giggled in exasperation. Yuku was a good friend. Fun and different. She was completely irreverent towards everything and had taken to calling Yugi Mr. King after she had learned of the connotations of his identity. She was always teasing and she got along with Yami as well as she got along with Yugi, not that she knew his secret. She had just decided that Yugi was moody.

Yuku sniffed. "The media is busy, what with this Kira nonsense and all. Seriously, you think they would have caught the guy by now. Ah well." She tossed her hair carelessly. "I bet its Ryuga. You and him would make a cute couple."

Yugi froze, stopping in his tracks. "What?!" he squeaked in a voice high enough to shatter glass.

Yuku winked at him again. "Oh come on. It could be. He is the only reason you take that class. Don't even try to deny it. I saw how quickly you zoned out today."

"I just want to play a game with him," protested Yugi. "He's good. I want to practice my craft against a fellow artist. Not that he's been around," Yugi mumbled, kicking at an imaginary rock.

Yuku smiled. "So you _are_ gay?" Yugi blushed and paled as he realized what he had revealed. Yuku rubbed his hair. "Don't worry, Mr. King. Your secret is safe with me." She skipped a head a few steps, twirling her bag. Then she came to a halt, frowning. "Would you look at that crowd! I wonder what's going on?" She skipped further ahead, stopping when she had a good view of the screen.

Yugi was on her feels, looking up and listening to the sound that filled the square.

"This is Sakura TV. We are sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming-"

YGD

"- to bring you this emergency announcement."

Raito smiled at the television screen and hoped that L was watching.

It had begun.

YGD

"We have been contacted by Kira."

L stared at the screens, his heart sinking his chest. Oh yes, Kira had definitely planned something. And it had been something big. Four stations were playing the emergency broadcast and each announcing voice held the same note of panic.

L leaned forward, determined to catch every word. Even if he couldn't stop this he was determined to minimize the damage.

YGD

"Moments ago we received an email from Kira. It reads as follows-"

As the crowd pressed forward to hear, Yugi took a step back, fear uncurling like a cut in his stomach.

Yami appeared in spirit beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder as they both listened with trepidation.

"'This is Kira.

'I know that until now I have not gone to the effort of contacting the world through the media and after this I shall not do so again. Many understand my ideas and support them on their own. I have had no need to try and enforce an agenda upon the people.

'Today I break from that pattern only to avert panic.

'As you know I punish those who the law lets escape. I only kill those in need of justice. Until now I have focused upon removing those who use the prison system like a hotel. However, I realized that this was not enough.

'Not all criminals are arrested.

'I am here to tell you today that I judge even when the court system does not. I know who you are and what you have done. And you shall not escape justice.

'Enclosed is a list of criminals. The top list is the list of criminals in the country to which the email was sent. Below that list is the complete list for the entire globe. This list is made of men who have managed to never face a judge for their crimes. Now they face me. At exactly four-thirty today these people will die.'"

Yugi glanced at his watch. It was four o'three. He shut his eyes as the first name was read.

"Adachi, Katsuro. Murderer."

/Yami-/

"Araki, Goro. Rapist."

//I know, aibou,// the spirit moved closer to his host, //I know. Do you want me to-//

"Ashahei, Shin. Murderer."

Yugi let out a shuddering breath. /I can handle this. It's just- This is- I just wish-/

"Ayugai, Yuu. Kidnapper. Rapist. Murderer."

//That we could stop this.// Yami stared into the terrified crowd, listening as people prayed and chanted that every name would be unfamiliar. He sent the Gods the same prayer with the full realization that the majority of Yugi's friends had tried to kill him at point in their lives.

He and Yugi watched listened as name after name was called out and the crime was announced.

Both let out a breath when they made it past the 'B' section without hearing the name of a certain albino and the crazy spirit that had once wanted to rule the world. Yugi was further relived when they made it past the 'I's without a certain Egyptian's name being call and Yami didn't have the heart to tell Yugi that that meant little. If Malik were called Egypt would know before they did.

It was fourteen minutes before they made it to the 'K' section and another minute and half before the pair knew that Kaiba was safe.

Nearly nineteen minutes had passed before the world ended.

"Mutou, Yugi. Murderer."

"Ya…mi?" Yugi whispered. He turned to Yami who stood frozen, looking at the screen, shadows swirling dangerously in the midnight purple of his eyes. "Yami?" Yugi called again, his voice not much stronger.

He jumped as a hand grabbed his shoulders. Yuku's normally sparkling brown eyes held the weight of the world. They didn't soften as she grabbed his hands and began dragging him to the street.

"Yuku?" Yugi asked, his voice somewhere close to breaking.

She pulled faster. "We have to get you to the hospital. We have eight minutes. We can do it. Just run. Follow me and run." She pulled harder then tossed a glance over her shoulder. "Kira is an idiot if he thinks you killed anyone."

Yugi laughed hysterically as he jogged for his life, his short legs pumping furiously. Years of dodging bullies came back in a flash as Yugi raced through the streets of Tokyo, dodging crowds and running through stalled traffic.

In his head he could feel Yami swirling, spinning and watching for anything that be headed their way. His feelings we pouring through the link in jumbles, words escaping him as his rage boiled. Only the thought of tortured screams provided enough solace for him to control his magic, watching for the threat instead of leveling the block.

They burst through the doors of emergency, panting from exercise and anxiety. Yugi glanced down at his watch. Four twenty-eight. It had taken six minutes to run to the hospital. Yugi couldn't help but stare as the hands twirled down the time he had left.

It wasn't that Yugi was afraid of dying. He just wasn't ready to go without a reason. He wasn't dying to save anyone or anything. And he wasn't even guilty of the crimes of which he had been accused. Worse, if he died, Yami died. Yugi didn't want to leave Ryou and Bakura alone.

//You'll be fine, aibou.//

"I tell you he's going to have a heart attack!" came Yuku's desperate cry. Yugi didn't need to look up to see the disbelief on the nurse. He watched as his watched changed to four twenty-nine in morbid fascination.

He clutched at his chest.

YUGI!

It felt as though the entire world was calling his name, but it seemed so far away. It was because the world was burning. He could feel everything burning. It hurt. It hurt so bad. He wanted it to stop.

Yami.

The spirit heard his name called as he dived back into Yugi, as enraged as he was panicked. He had seen nothing, he had felt nothing when Yugi had toppled over. Even the nurses rushing to the aid of his hikari did nothing to balm his feelings.

He hit the hallway between soul rooms with a bone shattering impact. He brushed it off. Ghosts don't have bones.

/Yami./

He heard his name echoing like a worn memory down the hall. Yami raced, his mind screaming as he searched for Yugi's spirit. He called to his aibou.

"Yam-" Yugi's weak cry was silenced suddenly, but it had let Yami know enough. He knew he was close. He knew where Yugi was.

Yami slammed into the room that was the body.

Instead of taking control of the physical incarnation Yami stumbled into a room of shadows. Immediately they began to swirl and part, grabbing him, pushing him.

Guiding him.

Then he saw Yugi.

And he screamed.

The darkness that had surrounded the boy ceased its movement at the sound of the intruder. It had expected nothing. It had expected to enjoy its meal in peace.

Yugi whimpered as the bonds holding him tightened, every place they touched burning him like acid.

Yami heard the pitiful sound his light made. He held up a hand and snarled at the _thing_ that had dared trespass here. This was his territory. Here, he was Pharaoh.

He fired a blast of raw shadow.

Which bounced off of the glass cage holding his aibou. Still the darkness drew back. It had never been opposed before. It did not appreciate the feeling. It hissed and began to work faster so it could leave sooner.

Yugi could feel himself sinking, feel himself burning as the darkness quite taunting him and began consuming him.

Yami's eyes widened in horror as the darkness hold Yugi seemed to multiple, causing the prison it had trapped itself in to shimmer. The ink pulled the boy into its depths.

Yugi's whimper was cut off as his face was pulled into the nightmare. Then his everywhere hurt.

A feral scream rent the air as a thousand shadows added their voices to their Pharaoh's.

And then, together, they reclaimed the light.

The blast of raw magic struck against the wall of the cage and continued to pour against it as Yami channeled the flow. Cracks began to appear, spreading out like a spider's wed. Yami screamed again, his voice heavy with magic.

The glass shattered and the darkness dispersed and for a second Yami could see what was left of Yugi.

Then he fell into the body.

Yami choked, trying to gasp as pain ran through every limb. He could feel hands touching him, but they were nothing compared to the ice that was pulling at his chest, pulling at his heart. His body was so cold it burned with the heat of the sun.

Weak. He was weak. He couldn't move. He could feel the vessel dying around him and he wanted to laugh in despair at the futility. To cry at his own weakness. What was the point of saving Yugi's soul if he couldn't protect the body in which it lived?

Had they said goodbye to Ryou and Bakura before they had left?

It was almost a blessing when it ended. Yami's eyes rolled into the back of his head and slid into the night.

AN- Yes. I am that evil.

On a funnier note I was searching the signs of having a heart attack and the list I found was "Feeling of impending doom." Seriously. It was there. I am not making this up. Feeling "doom" is now a symptom.


	6. Fallout

It had been a fortnight.

Two weeks.

Fourteen days.

Three hundred and thirty six hours.

Twenty thousand one hundred and sixty minutes.

And counting.

Bakura grabbed his hair, burying his fingers deep into the tangled mess as though he could gouge out the part that forced him to remember.

It had been quarter to five before anyone had called him. Quarter to five. His loves had been dead for fifteen whole minutes before anyone had though to contact Ryou. Then it had taken another five precious minutes to calm down the hysterical girl on the end to find out the story.

It had only taken Bakura seconds to make it to the hospital.

But it had been too late.

It had always been to late.

The hospital had been pure chaos. Doctors, police, and the family members of Kira latest victims had been milling around, all them in varying degrees of hysteria. People in street clothes had been wandering about in a daze while others had sat in chairs, tears streaming down their faces as their cries of pain joined a chorus. The hospital staff had been fairing little better. Nurses were dodging each other as they raced down hallways, carrying orders to transport the corpses in an attempt to clear yet another room. But even as they dashed the ambulance would bring another cadaver. Before the finished unloading they already had orders to pick up the next one. The doctors were torn between exhausted and bewildered, many of them looking like they were going to quit at any moment while others appeared as though they were about to have a heart attack themselves.

The police were one in their expressions and their actions. They all wore the same grim face, the lips turned down and the corner of the eyes were pinched. They asked same dark questions in a level tone that only years of having seen far too much would allow. It was with this same deftness that they fended off the advances of those affected, quietly promising to be with them as soon as they could.

Be with you as soon as we can.

That was the default answer every time Ryou opened his mouth. We'll be with you as soon as we can. The poor boy had been hysterically searching for fate of his lovers, only to be told "we'll be with you as soon as we can."

Bakura had taken over. "As soon as we can," had come a whole lot sooner after that. Part of Bakura had regretted that. He and Ryou had been able to hold on to the illusion that Yami and Yugi would be okay. After all, they had faced an evil god and had emerged victorious. They could handle anything. They should have been able to handle anything.

They hadn't handled this.

Bakura didn't really remember how he had taken the news. The fact that his next memory was him walking up cuffed to a hospital bed with two battered cops standing guard gave him a pretty clear idea that he had handled the entire situation rather well. Especially since they were still willing to uncuff him.

But they soon regretted that decision.

It still wasn't Bakura's fault. They wouldn't let him see the body. They claimed that it had been taken by the police to be searched for clues. Bakura's stomach rolled at the thought of Yugi's body being dissected like frog as some antisocial doctor searched through his organs as though he were digging for gold. He couldn't even think about how Yami would have taken the desecration of Yugi's corpse, because Yami wasn't there.

It had taken a full week before Bakura was allowed out of the psych ward, before he could go home. But it didn't feel like home anymore. There was no joy, no laughter, no happily ever after. All there was was a cold and silent apartment.

The only good to come of returning was that Ryou finally reestablished contact. He refused to come out, but he had been willing to finally listen to Bakura, and on occasion, respond. And as contact slowly emerged, so did a plan.

Bakura had pointed out that it was suicide and that Yugi wouldn't want them to give up living just because he had passed on. Ryou had pointed out that he hadn't wanted Yugi to die in the fist place and since the boy hadn't followed that he didn't owe Yugi anything.

It was difficult logic to argue with.

So Bakura had helped. He had made phone calls, explaining the situation and the risks. The response had been overwhelming. It was shocking to see how many people wanted to die for the sake of a memory. Though some were coming not for Yugi's sake, but for the sake of another.

Kira had killed a lot of innocent people.

And for that he would pay.

YGD

Raito lounged on the coach, flicking through channel after channel only to be greeted with the same story. Despite it having been two whole weeks since his last action it was still all the news would talk about. Those who supported Kira were calling it the Day of the Damned, and how those who had escaped judgment had finally met theirs. Those who didn't, at least those willing to voice the fact that they didn't, were calling it Kira's Massacre.

Yet as much as the papers gabbed about what had happened, L and the police had remained silent. No official statement had been released.

No official death toll.

It was probably just they were dealing with international boundaries. Some countries would be unwilling to release the information on those who had died in an attempt to stave off panic. But even though there was no official death toll, everyone knew the numbers.

Two thousand three hundred names had been written down. Two thousand three hundred souls had vanished from the earth.

A disproportionate amount had been from Tokyo, Japan. Raito had actually focused on the area. Raito considered it his present to L. The detective had been certain that Kira was from this area. Now he had even more proof.

Yet it was proof that meant nothing. Raito had given L no new clues, just new bodies. The detective must have been going mad as he realized that he had lost this round. And he should have finally begun to fear his opponent. L should have finally realized just how powerful Kira was.

Kira was the God of the new world.

Raito chuckled to himself and stretched an arm, enjoying having the living room to himself. His mother and sister had gone to visit his father in the hospital and Raito had pled out, claiming the need to study. He was enjoying the quiet. Both his sister and Mother had been distraught by Kira's latest actions and their constant condemnation made watching the unfolding events less than pleasant.

But now Raito could bask in the glory of mayhem in peace.

Not there was much basking to be had. Channel after channel were news anchors squabbling back and forth over the justification of his actions. None of them understood.

Raito sighed and flipped through a few more channels.

"And joining us today we have teen idol Misa Amane. Miss Amane, it is an honor to have you on our show."

A pretty blond dressed in punk gothic fashion let off a giggle. "It's a pleasure to be here, Mister."

The newscaster blushed as Misa sent him a smile. Raito was torn between laughter and gagging. Still, he watched. It was better than listening to the drivel on the other channels.

"So Miss Amane, can you tell us why you requested to do an interview with our channel? Not that we aren't honored but you must admit it is rather unusual."

Misa giggled again. "It's because of Kira, silly. You're station likes him. I like him. And I wanted to thank him."

"Thank him?" the interviewer shifted uncomfortably, obviously worried about making it home safely.

Misa nodded, ignoring or, which was more likely, not noticing his discomfort. She gave a firm nod. "Kira killed the man who killed my family," Misa's voice was a pained whisper. "Kira killed him when the courts let him go." When she raised her head her eyes glowed feverishly. "Which is why I wrote Kira a song I would like to sing tonight. May I?"

The interviewer sent those off-screen a panicked look. The rustling of bodies could be heard and eventually a piece of paper made it's way to the news anchor. He unfolded it and paled a little more. "G-go ahead," he rasped out in a dry voice.

Misa giggled again and stood. She planted her feet in front of the camera, lifted her microphone to her lips and took in one long breath.

Then she started.

Raito leaned forward, his mouth dropping. It wasn't a particularly good song, nor was Misa's voice exceptional. Even the lyrics sounded sloppy and forced. But still he leaned forward, shocked by what he heard.

_In the song of life you are my note of death_

_You are the fire the burns away_

_You are the water that washes and heals_

_You are my light in the night_

_So I'll sing for you_

_So I'll die for you_

_I'll wait for you_

_I'll be your eyes_

_In the song of life you are my note of death_

_You are the sword of justice_

_You are the scale that weighs the sins_

_You are my hope in the dark_

_So I'll sing for you_

_So I'll die for you_

_I'll wait for you_

_I'll be your eyes_

_Because in this life you are my god of death_

_And the world is in your hands_

_Because in the song of life you are the note of death_

_And I'll be waiting_

The last note faded out into silence. Then Misa giggled and turned back to the interviewer. "Well?" she asked.

Raito flicked off the television. He had some thinking to do.

YGD

AN-And slowly we move forward. Next chapter should move faster. Thank you for all the reviews and readers.

In the meantime if anyone could hook me up with any great X-Men anyverse Yu-Gi-Oh crossovers I would be much obliged. I've ran through the ones on the crossover list but I know that a bunch from days before never made that. I love the finished stories but have been craving mutants so I'll settle. SO if you come across any please remember to send me a link *eyes shimmer* Please?

Hope you enjoyed and I'll try and update soon.

Ps. Sorry about the bad lyrics. It was necessary.


	7. Pillow Talk

Everything was confused.

He couldn't tell if he was falling, flying, or something in between. All he knew was that the world had quit making sense. The rules of reality seemed to no longer apply as dark and light bled into one and became something more and something less. Time flowed up and down and forwards and back, twisting like a river of tears through a landscape of soft despair.

Though he would have thought it impossible, the jumble that was his mind slowly began to fall into place. The first thing he remembered was a name. It was strange because he knew it wasn't his name. It was stranger still because he knew it was more important than his name.

Soon after the name came emotions. The poured like rain across the desert, a shock to the system, yet not one that was unwelcome. After that images had blossomed. He could remember eyes. Eyes of red, cynical yet fun. Eyes of brown, soft and thoughtful.

But mostly he remembered violet.

It took time. It took far too much time before he could attach the name to those eyes. But the moment he did, the moment he realized how they fit, the world fell back into place.

_Yugi._

Yami opened his eyes with a gasp, struggling to move into a sitting position. When he failed he settled for twisting his neck, hoping to figure out where he was so he could come up with a plan to get he and his aibou out of whatever mess they had landed themselves in this time.

It was difficult to get his bearings. The room was dark and dank. It smelled of dust and of ages long past. Yami could feel himself begin to panic as he placed the taste of musty air and dim light.

He had been locked in a tomb.

That thought had Yami surging to his feet. He moaned in pain as his muscles screamed in protest at their sudden use, but he held his footing, spinning to get a better look at where he was. He was alone, that was apparent, but it didn't mean he was safe. He could have been buried alive for all he knew. It would have been a bit extravagant on the part of whoever had dumped him here, but the enemies Yami collected tended to be . . . frivolous in their pursuits.

The fear of having been buried alive died as Yami spotted a plain wooden door. It was completely out of place and devastatingly familiar. Still, it took Yami a few moments for his mind to place the door. When he did he gasped in relief, glad he was alone so no one could see his weakness as he celebrated.

He was in his soul room.

And if he was in his soul room it meant that Yugi would be…

Yami didn't bother to finish the thought. He slammed himself against the door, staggering into the labyrinth that guarded his essence from intruders. His feet led him down the familiar path and soon he was standing on the cusp of his own mind, the dark door with the millennium eye standing open, waiting for him to pass.

Yami took a deep breath and stepped into the corridor between his mind and his hikari's.

Relief weakened his knees as he saw that a familiar door still stood across the hall. It was, as always, sitting slightly ajar. Soft light still poured forth, lessening the blackness of the corridor.

Still Yami steadied himself as he approached. The longer he was awake the more he began to remember. And as he dragged himself to Yugi's soul room he couldn't block the last sight he had had of the boy.

He could still see how in those brief moments Yugi's body had hit the ground like a discarded toy. Patches of flesh had been burned away, as though they had been exposed to acid. Yami shuddered as he remembered his aibou's face, half gone, on violet eye rolling grotesquely in his head, the eyelid that normally framed it completely burned away. Patches of Yugi's hair, Yugi's soft and wonderful hair, had been melted done, revealing a weeping scalp, though in places it had shown bone. Yugi's fingers, his slight and delicate fingers, the ones he used to elegantly move chess pieces across the board, were all but gone, melted away by the darkness. And Yugi's soft lips were twisted and bloody, drawn into a sick parody of a scream.

Yami paused at the door, resting his hand gently on the knob. He wouldn't turn from this. He wouldn't run. He was Pharaoh and this was his kingdom. But as a king he knew that there were times when you had to be prepared. And until he knew more he knew that the one thing he could do was not scream when he saw his aibou.

Yami pushed the door open.

Yugi's room was only slightly changed. The toys, which Yugi had eventually learned to shelve, had been thrown about, as though knocked out of their resting places by an earthquake. Some sat upside down while others had been buried. But the rest of the room seemed fine. The walls were intact. Light still shone in from a window. And the bed…

The bed had a giant lump in the middle, hidden by a blanket.

Yami slowly picked his way over to the furnishing, treading carefully so as not to step on Yugi's toys. He sat down on the comforter, his weigh pulling him into the soft surface. All Yami wanted to do was flop over and cover the body that he knew rested beneath the blankets. But he was Pharaoh, and he had responsibilities.

He pulled away the blanket.

There was a sleepy protest. Yugi yanked the blanket back, trying to use it to cover his head to block out the light. Yami peeled it away again. He watched as a hand flitted itself across the cloth, searching for a purchase so it could reclaim its shade. When it found no way to win the blanket from its capture, the owner of said hand grumbled and slowly began to sit up.

Yugi gave Yami a purple glare. "You know," he grumbled playfully, "If all you ever do is come here to wake me up I might just start locking that door."

Yami just pulled him into a hug, the Pharaoh's tears falling on Yugi's unblemished face. Yugi wrapped his arms around his darkness, murmuring soft reassurance as Yami's hands flitted across his skin, making sure that his soul was intact.

It was Yugi who pulled away first. "I'm fine, Yami," he smiled to prove his point, "but how are we doing?"

"We?" Yami echoed, still preoccupied with searching Yugi for hidden wounds.

"Yes 'we.'" As Yami stared blankly Yugi rolled his eyes in comic exasperation. "The body? The thing we share? Do you know how it is doing? Or even where it is?" He sighed as Yami's expression became thoughtful.

Finally the Pharaoh broke out of his reverie. "I suppose we should check on that."

"I suppose we should."

It was Yami who opened his eyes to be greeted by the blank stare of a plain ceiling. He and Yugi had both agreed that if they were somewhere disagreeable Yami would be the better choice to rectify that. And though he wouldn't say it out loud Yugi was still feeling drained from whatever it was that had happened.

Yami shifted his gaze, making sure he was alone in the room before trying anything else.

He winced as he sat up, aches and pains making themselves known. Most of it came from his muscles. From the stiffness Yami could tell that they had been lying here for a while. But part of the pain came from other things such as the needle resting in the crook of his arm.

/It's an IV./

Yami frowned. //This isn't a hospital.// He glanced around the room, taking in the evidence that proved his statement.

It was an airy room done up in neutral colors, dark reds and faded maroons. A large and vibrant window shed little light through the dark curtains. There was a nightstand on both sides of the bed and a set of wooden drawers at the foot.

/Is this a hotel?/

Yugi echoed Yami's incredulity but couldn't deny the observation. There was nothing in the room that marked it as belonging to someone and the blankets held that for the customers feel. There were also a grotesque number of pillows. Even if this wasn't a hotel it certainly looked like one.

A small, plastic table was the only thing that looked liked it was out of place. On it sat various pieces of medical equipment. Yami winced at some of the needles.

Seeing no immediate danger he slowly eased himself up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, wincing as he struggled against the stiffness. But he didn't let it prevent him from pulling the needle out of his arm.

Ignoring the thin trail of blood that seeped from the new wound, Yami stood. He was pleased to find the body in working condition. Other than the stiffness there seemed to be no injuries. So far everything seemed okay.

Which was strange considering Yami's last memory was of a serial murderer trying to kill his hikari. Waking up unhurt in a hotel room after such an experience was weird, even for Item Bearer standards.

The soft clicking of a turning doorknob promised a few answers.

Yami moved swiftly, pain forgotten, as a distracted man entered the room backwards, carrying a tray as he mumbled to himself. " 'Matsuda, go make coffee. Matsuda, go wash dishes. Matsuda, go play maid instead of doing your job.' Well, at least you haven't started ordering me…" Matsuda trailed off, looking at the empty bed. He drew his weapon, eyes scanning for signs of an intruder.

A flash of almost black violet was all he caught before he found himself staring at the floor, his arm twisted back an up over his head and the back of his knees bruised. Matsuda shifted his weight; ready to fight when he heard a soft click. He stilled.

"Very good," whispered a midnight voice. "Now allow me to explain how this will work if you wish for both of us to survive. I will ask questions. You will answer them honestly. You will not yell for aid, nor will you attempt to escape. If you were to do either of these things I will be forced to kill you. Understand?"

"Yes," Matsuda whispered, cursing his luck.

"Very good." There was a pause. "Why am I here?"

Matsuda blinked, at a bit of a loss. "Um, because when a man loves a womAH!" his statement ended in a pained gasped as his arm was twisted upward. Not that he was surprised. Matsuda had had a feeling that that was the wrong answer.

"Why was I brought here!" the other voice was just a hiss.

Matsuda blinked again as the pieces began to click. "Mr. Mutou?" he asked hesitantly.

Had his hands not been busy, Yami would have grabbed his face in frustration. Who the hell had the man thought he was? Ewan McGregor? Questioning this idiot was like pulling teeth!

/Be nice!/ scolded Yugi. /You jumped him form the side. He probably didn't see us. And he's younger than you. Besides, he might be a friend./

Yami frowned, looking again at the man. Yugi was correct about the man being younger than Yami although considering it was between he and Bakura for oldest living person that was hardly surprising. What was surprising was that the man he pinned couldn't have been a decade older than Yugi. Yami would have placed him at twenty-five.

/See? He's young. Be nice./

//He's older than you!//

/I bet he hasn't saved the world./

//Yugi, this isn't the time to be nice.//

/Then settle for being less mean./

Oblivious to his captor's internal argument, Matsuda closed his eyes, concentrating on keeping his breathing easy as he waited for a response. His lips moved in a silent prayer as the silence continued to stretch.

//Fine! I'll be less mean!// Yami rolled his eyes as Yugi bubbled happily. He shook his head, returning his focus to his prisoner. The man on the floor was tense, probably near panic and therefore ready to do something stupid.

Yami sighed, easing down Matsuda's arm, relieving a bit of the pain. "Yes, I'm Yugi Mutou."

Matsuda bit his tongue to keep from sighing in relief. Not only had he not been shot (hurray!) he had also gained a valuable piece of information (double hurray!). His relief was diminished by pain as his arm was moved again. Oh yeah. Questions. "Um, I missed that…"

Yami looked down at his prisoner in horror. //This man is an idiot! And has ADD!//

/At least he doesn't have a dragon fetish./

//Touché.// Yami took in a deep breath and asked his question again. "Why am I here?"

"You had a heart attack."

Yami gritted his teeth. "And this is not the hospital I had it in! This isn't even a hospital! So why the hell are we in a motel?"

"This is our base."

"Your base."

"Yup."

"A base."

"That's what I said."

"What are you, ten?"

Matsuda blinked. "Um, I don't think I look ten."

Yami moaned in frustration. "By Ra, I've been abducted by mentally challenged adults playing king of the hill."

"Hey!" barked Matsuda, insulted. "Show some respect! We're detectives!"

"Detectives?"

"That is correct."

In the blink of an eye Yami moved, twisting Matsuda's arm down so it was behind his back and manipulating the young detective's body so it served as a shield. Yami kept the gun pointing at Matsuda as he peeked around his shoulder to see who had joined the conversation. Yami's eyes narrowed.

"Ryuga."

L smiled. "Hello Yugi-kun. I am pleased to see you have regained consciousness.

* * *

OMG! I AM SO SORRY! I wanted to put this chap up the day after the last one but I got sick again. And the meds I'm on are throwing me for a loop. This is the first time I have been able to write in about 2 weeks! I feel so awful! T.T I didn't mean to leave you guys with the other cliffhanger for so long! I am such a schmuk!

And to those waiting on my other crossovers, I still haven't had a chance to work on them either. My drugs are making go WHEEEEE*sob sob sob* WHEEEEE. It is very trippy and not in a good way (I lied, it is kinda fun. Just not productive). So as soon as I get this mess figured out I will be back with more! Please be patient!

Oh, and I used Ewan McGregor because he was big in Japan for a while.

To those who are all "They're alive!" you don't get to be mad at me because there were some really obvious clues.

1. There was no body. The laws of drama state that if a person is dead but there is no body then they aren't dead. If there is no body and they *might* be alive its a different ball game, but otherwise they are definitely alive.

2. Yami & L are listed as main characters.

3. As Ning Jun pointed out, I have a bit of a love affair with twists.

Anyway, hope this satisfies you and I'll be back when I can, though I owe SoP more updates first ^^0


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